Keeping me busy

This has been keeping me busy, but don't fret the holiday season has calmed down and I'll get to publishing the list soon.

Thanks Bowtruss for the timely coffee! Testing it along with some coffees from a recent trip to Aus. (More later)

Video: Coffee, Consume, connection?

SCAA Symposium talks are a great think tank, and they've release a talk from earlier this year.

Here is Tracy Ging talking about consumers and how tell perceive "specialty" coffee industry.
What things matter to the consumer at home vs outside of home?
Does everyone want to know about where the coffee comes from?

These are just a couple of topics addressed.

Watch now:

Top 10 Toronto Cafe (2012)

Welcome to the holiday season, it's already mid December and I've yet to put up our choices for 2012.
Let's give a run-down of how we're putting this piece together:

As we know... Toronto is in a cafe boom (see the Grid's write-up in Feb).. or so we're led to believe.
As more and more coffee shops open up, question comes to mind.
Do they have the staying power?
Do they capture the market?
What draws customers to their location?

This is an opinion piece for later this month (on those holiday mornings were you want to read a 2,000 word piece on coffee, economics and sustainability). Updates have been sparse this year, and it's mainly due to some writer's block, but other life events and travelling. Nevertheless, the site continues, and hopefully in 2013 we'll see more actual write-ups. Many roasters to feature and just going back to the basics of dispersing information for those curious enough to find this site. Thanks for reading!


Here are the lists from the past:
2011 - (link)
2010 - (link)


So let us celebrate 10 locations in Toronto that are always consistent, welcoming and just a great place to enjoy your coffee/espresso.

GET your ESPRESSO ADVENTURE on today.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

Featured Bean: BowsXArrows Nic, Pradera

Found @ Mercury Espresso
Address: 915 Queen St. East
Neighbourhood: Leslieville

Roasters: Bows x Arrows Coffee Roasters
Located: Victoria, B.C  twitter:
Farm: Finca La Pradera
Farmers: David Ariel Lovo Guterrez
Origin: Dipilto, Neuva Segovia
Bean: Caturra (1450msl)

Machine: Hario V60, with V3 Kone Filter
Grinder: Hario Slim

Verdict: Buttery smooth, baked tree nuts;  Very easy drinkable coffee. No surprises here, just familiar warmth upon drinking.

Sense of calm

Been brewing up a bunch of new roasters/ or relatively new to me, and been pleasantly enjoying all this brewed love.

Thinking of the sense of calm before the storm(aka Holidays), and the rush of events.
the SERBC just wrapped up this weekend, and it was really great to see all of the twitter activity, and keeping up to date with the comp.

I'll be posting some thoughts of my top 10 locations in Toronto as well as some essential gear that coffee/espresso lovers should have in their inventory.

Happpppy week!

Disposables via Living Lagom

Allo Espresso Adventurer:

Allow me to introduce the blog Living Lagom, a minimalist who freely expresses her journey of reaching Lagom. What I wanted to share was the idea of reducing the number of disposable cups that she consumes, intentionally or not.

For every cup that she comes in contact with, she donates $1 to a charity of her choice. What she also did was try and pick up a disposable cup and place it in the trash/recycling. Helping with the Litter problem What a great idea.

For that, I give her mucho props (link)

As much as she enjoys her Green Tea Lattes, and frequents coffee shops, why not put a self-imposed "tax/donation" for the use of these cups///

Some of you may use travel mugs, or KeepCups, or even good old ceramic/stay and sip cups.

I'm working very hard to reduce my carbon footprint and stay accountable with conscious acts such as this. 

As such, in 2013, I too will track the disposables I use and decide on where I too will donate my monies.

Happy December, and the start of year end.

Connecting people

Being able to talk and share our passions is what drives me to continue my personal quest in developing a fine tuned palate  It's the enjoyment of these flavours from coffee,  that drives me to keep testing, talking and "geek-ing" out.

Toronto is privvy to some amazing coffee roasters, shops and people who are genuinely happy to talk to you about the coffee they serve. One of these amazing people is Adam from Reunion Island.

Kudos on landing a great partnership with Sang Kim (currently working on the Restaurant(s) at 1 Baldwin Street. (more)

Another personal favourite is Fahrenheit Coffee (120 Lombard Street) (Jarvis and Adelaide)... it's their one-year celebrating in their current digs. Home of 2 Canadian Barista Championship finalists, and a bad-ass Della Corta... please go and visit, as all drinks are on the house, and tips go to Movember.

Exciting times as the holiday approaches, where more coffee connections will happen.